To hell with the brass ring. Grab the Happiness Bubble.

Happiness and wealth are an inside job.

If you’ve been laid off, burned out, or just can’t face another 70-hour corporate week, you’re not looking for another job—you’re looking for yourself. You want to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. But here’s the truth: that kind of life isn’t something you find “out there.”

It’s an inside job.

We’ve been sold a lie. We’re told that happiness comes from the car, the house, the paycheck, and the endless grind toward “success.” But it doesn’t. Those things are distractions—treasures that rust. The real treasure, the one that lasts, is found within.

True happiness is about becoming whole. It’s about aligning with who you are, not what the world tells you to be. And the gateway to that kind of happiness is vulnerability, curiosity, learning, and rediscovering what truly lights you up.

The Courage to Be Vulnerable

Vulnerability is scary. It means showing up authentically, letting go of control, and trusting in your own worth—even when the path ahead is unclear. But it’s also the gateway to the life you want.

As Brené Brown says, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.” If you’re going Fractional or simply trying to live a more authentic life, this is where it starts: embracing the unknown and trusting that your value isn’t tied to a title, a salary, or anyone else’s expectations.

To Be Happy Is to Be Curious

Happiness starts with curiosity. When we’re curious, we’re open to the world, to others, and to new possibilities. But too often, our curiosity is crushed under the weight of cynicism, ego, and the status quo—blockers we pick up during our corporate lives.

To rediscover happiness, we must relearn how to be curious. Ask questions. Explore new ideas. Look at the world with childlike wonder and excitement. When we approach life as learners, we unlock potential we didn’t even know was there.

To Be Happy Is to Be a Learner

Corporate life teaches us to cling to what we know, to maintain the appearance of expertise. But real happiness comes from embracing what we don’t know and finding joy in the process of learning.

This means letting go of:

• Cynicism: The voice that says, “I’ve seen it all, and nothing works.”
• Ego: The fear of looking like a beginner or making mistakes.
• The Status Quo: The comfort of staying in our lane, even when it no longer serves us.

When we let go of these blockers, we free ourselves to grow, explore, and create.

To Be Happy Is to Find Your Inner Nerd

What lights you up? What makes you lose track of time? Happiness comes when we reconnect with the part of ourselves that delights in something just for the joy of it.

We all have an inner nerd. Somewhere in the work you have been doing is a calling. A nerd. A simmering pot. A spark of flame. I. promise you it's in there. To give you a personal example, mine are marketing and fractional. I can spend hours on that shit. Mine are also fishing, cooking, my family, coaching, canoeing, labradors, sunsets, a walk and a good stogie with my friends. I can't make money at those, however, so I have to find my professional inner nerd. See next section on Ikigia. Whatever it is, let yourself be a nerd about it. Love it. Dive into it. This is where passion and purpose begin.

To Be Happy Is to Find Your Ikigai

The Japanese concept of Ikigai means “reason for being.” It’s the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.

Finding your Ikigai takes time and reflection. It’s about listening to yourself—your true self—and aligning your work and life with what truly matters to you.

For many, Fractional work offers a path to Ikigai. It allows you to design a career that fits your values, strengths, and passions, while creating space for the relationships and experiences that make life rich.

The Inside Job

Happiness isn’t a destination; it’s a practice. It’s the choice to grow joyfully each day without the grind, the chase, and the stress. It’s about stepping off the hamster wheel and learning to work with your values, not against them.

In Fractional work, this looks like building a career that supports your health, your relationships, and your deeper purpose. It’s about creating space for what matters most. And while this transformation begins with mindset shifts you can learn in a few weeks, the real work—developing yourself—lasts a lifetime.

The Path Forward

If this resonates, here are some resources to help you begin this journey:

• Arthur Brooks: The Science of Happiness
• Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability

For those ready to dive even deeper, check out The Breakthrough Table, where you can explore how to step through these gateways and design a life that’s truly your own.

Ask yourself: Am I ready to stop chasing and start creating? Am I ready to do the inside work?

We wrap all of this inside job work in our Fractional Masters Course. Why? Because we are committed to helping people find happiness in Fractional, and know the work it takes to get there. The course does end, as all Masters courses do, but the ongoing work of happiness does not. Thus, the BTT.

The truth is, the life you want isn’t found by running harder. It’s built through curiosity, vulnerability, learning, and the joyful pursuit of your Ikigai.

Be happy. You deserve it.

John

Steve Blexrud Marissa Anderson John Gamades

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